


High on that Hill

by divine_chemistry



Category: Smallfoot (2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Attempt at Humor, Developing Relationship, Fluff and Humor, M/M, Mentioned Character(s), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Percy can speak to wildlife, Percy gets altitude sickness, Slow Build
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-09
Updated: 2019-04-09
Packaged: 2020-01-07 01:30:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,053
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18400376
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/divine_chemistry/pseuds/divine_chemistry
Summary: Brenda's gone, his ratings have plummeted-- and though Percy's skeptical about what the right choice to make is, he decides he's got nothing else to lose."Let's go."(Upon meeting him outside the bar, Percy willingly leaves with Migo for the village.)





	High on that Hill

**Author's Note:**

> Percy Speaks to Wildlife AU by mrbuddykins: https://mrbuddykins.tumblr.com/post/179409213591/smallfoot-au-fanfiction

Percy murmurs contentedly about the heated rocks in his sleeping bag as Migo sprints across the snow.  
  
It’s a nice warmth to accompany the wind blowing onto his face, and as Migo takes a leap over a ravine Percy can’t help but shout out in excitement.  
  
(Migo joins him soon after, the same enthusiasm in his cry.)  
  
When they’d met just hours prior, Percy hadn’t known what to expect. “A giant yeti wants to carry you in a sleeping bag to meet his ‘friends’ how could it possibly be a bad idea to agree to this" had been his thinking at the time, and he sees now that he’d been too focused on his potential ratings to consider using common sense.  
  
It was a bit embarrassing now, however, because Percy’s sure that, had he known of the thrill that would follow this decision, he would’ve simply come along willingly.  
  
Because striding across the snow like this was...well, _fun_.  
  
And so was Migo.  
  
As said yeti began upon one of the larger mountains, Percy closed the opening to his sleeping bag, fearful of anymore cold seeping in as they neared the top.  
  
He could hear Migo humming something oddly familiar as they ascended, though it was muffled by the sleeping bag’s thick material.  
  
It quickly occurred to Percy that it was the tune to Queen's “Under Pressure”, and Patterson's face went ablaze as he considered that Migo may have caught him singing back at the tavern.  
  
“…m…mm…mh…!”  
  
Percy reopened the sleeping back just slightly at the sound of the yeti's voice.  
  
“Oh, sorry!” Migo started. “Were you sleeping in your cocoon?”  
Percy chuckled. “No, no I just heard you talking. But I missed what you said.”  
  
“Hm? Oh, I was just thinking about how you’re going to love the guys back at the S.E.S.”  
  
“The Essias?”  
  
“No, S. E. S.” Migo paused his climbing to hold out three fingers. “It’s three letters.”  
  
“Ah, got it.”  
  
“Great!”  
  
As Migo continued to scale the mountain, it occurred to Percy that he had no idea what the "S.E.S." was. Migo had merely said he was taking him to meet his friends atop the mountain.  
  
He would’ve actually asked Migo for clarification if he hadn’t already drawn the sleeping bag shut once again. They’d managed to make it to a very high altitude by this point, and the temperature was dropping rapidly as they progressed farther up. His little ‘heating stones’ were even starting to wear out.  
  
‘How high does this mountain go?’ Percy began to wonder, only to be shaken from his thoughts as he took note of Migo’s muffled voice now speaking excitedly to someone on the outside. Then, the sleeping bag began to move, and Percy realized that Migo was setting him down.  
  
Another muffled voice arose soon after, and soon, others followed.  
  
‘How many of them are out there?’ Percy thought, struggling to open the sleeping bag with his hands, given the lack of space inside.  
  
Though as he finally managed to squirm into the open, Percy sat astonished at the sight before him.  
  


 

**« -« • »- »**

 

  
  
“Look! It even has _soft_ outer-feet under the _leather_ outer-feet!” Fleem cried, though Percy simply rolled his eyes at the yeti's amazement.  
  
“For the _third_ time, I’m not an _‘it’_ , I’m _Percy_. _Secondly_ , they're called—”  
  
Though Gwangi had already stepped in, inadvertently cutting him off. And upon seeing the rope held eagerly in his grasp, Percy sighed in defeat as he raised his arms, allowing Gwangi to record his wingspan.  
  
(The yeti had been taking his measurements for a good ten minutes now. Kolka had told him that it was for “investigative research purposes”, and the vagueness of the statement had left Percy to draw his own conclusions as to what that could possibly entail.)  
  
Meanwhile, at the other end of the S.E.S. headquarters, Meechee chatted excitedly with Migo about their discovery.  
  
“I can’t believe you actually _found_ one, Migo!”  
  
“I know!”  
  
“And it _talks!”_  
  
“I _know!”_  
  
“And he has a _name!”_  
  
“That I do,” Percy interjected, quickly grabbing the two’s attention before Migo walked over to him on the table, kneeling to the man’s eye-level.  
  
At this, Percy couldn’t help but stare.  
  
Migo’s eyes were _purple_ , and he was unsure as to how he hadn't noticed it before, (later noting the deep blue also present in the mix.)  
  
They were _stunning_.  
  
  
  
  
It took Percy a moment to realize he’d grown distracted by his sudden 'finding', as Migo had apparently begun to address him in conversation without his knowing.  
  
“—Percy?”  
  
“Hm? Oh!”  
  
“Are you alright?”  
  
Percy coughed curtly, his face now flushed from something other than the cold, “ah, yes, I was just uh…lost, in...my thoughts.”  
  
“Oh, ok.” Migo flashed him a smile, soon offering his hand for Percy to walk onto.  
  
“How about we go and introduce you to the village, then?”  
  
“That sounds like a _fantastic_ idea," Percy replied.  
  
  


 

 

  
  
Then, a beat.  
  
“There’s _more_ of you?!"

  
  
**« -« • »- »**

 

  
  
The yeti community welcomed Percy with—giant—open arms, bombarding him with questions regarding human customs, and items they had come across throughout the years clearly of human origin.  
  
Or rather, “smallfoot” customs, and of, “smallfoot” origin.  
  
Because apparently, that was the word for “human” in yeti culture.  
(Of course, Percy found this ironic. Though he doubted the yetis would understand why, so he kept from bringing it up.)  
  
But he had answered all queries with enthusiasm, still elated at his current situation—  
  
He was in the midst of an entire yeti civilization living atop a mountain in the Himalayas. It was like a dream come _true_.—  
  
And they were all seemingly good company, as Percy had soon discovered while venturing through the town. Migo had even been kind enough to introduce him to most of the village.  
  
(“That’s Garry. He panics a lot, it’s kind of his thing.”  
  
“And who’s that?” Percy pointed then to two yetis standing by what appeared to be the Town Square.  
  
“They're Meechee's family,” Migo replied. “That’s Thorp, and that guy beside him? That’s the _Stonekeeper_. I guess you could say he’s our leader.”  
  
“Is that robe made of...of _rocks?”_  
  
“Actually, it’s made of _stones_.”  
  
“So…rocks.”  
  
“ _Stones_. He’s the _Stone_ keeper, not the _Rock_ keeper!”  
  
The debate went on to last another five minutes.)  
  
After stopping by just about every part of the village, Percy took another moment to appreciate the opportunity he'd been given. His head still failed to wrap around the whole thing, but he found that that in itself simply added to the experience.  
  
He was pulled from his thoughts as Migo got his attention. “Hey, Percy, I want to show you one last thing."  
  
“Please do!” He exclaimed. The man wanted to see every inch of the village: every ice-based machine, every patch of snow, every—  
  
Though as Migo started heading _away_ from the town, Percy became confused.  
  
The yeti had instead begun to scale a moderately-sized hill adjacent to the village, taking caution with every step to keep from jostling Percy—who he'd let ‘perch’ atop his shoulder.—  
  
It wasn’t until they reached the very top that Percy understood what Migo had wanted to show him, and a soft “incredible,” managed to slip past his lips as Migo presented him with the sight.  
  
The village up close may have been gorgeous, but up there, he could see the light of the setting sun reflect softly onto the icy surface of each and every building. The village almost seemed to sparkle, though just faintly.  
  
“It’s _beautiful_ ,” Percy murmured.  
  
“Yeah, it’s really great up here.”  
  
“It really is…” And though the view was certainly breathtaking, Percy quickly noted his _severe_ lack of breath from their current altitude. “…though, the air is...kind of thin, this high up…”  
  
“Is it?”  
  
The conversation was cut short at a call for Migo’s name.  
  
  
A much shorter yeti then soon appeared, walking up to Migo with tentative steps. He looked particularly cautious of Percy's presence overall.  
  
Percy turned to Migo. “Is this your son?” he asked, only to have his question met with abrupt laughter and a disgruntled noise from the smaller yeti.  
  
“That’s _my_ son that you’re _sitting_ _on_ , smallfoot.”  
  
“This is your _father?!”_ Percy cried— though Migo was too busy laughing to reply.

  
  
**« -« • »- »**

  
  
Migo’s father’s name was Dorgle, and he worked as the "village gong ringer", which meant that he...woke up _the sun?_ Percy was still convinced that he'd misheard Migo when he'd explained this, but he'd never circled back to ask him.  
  
Their cave was small, but also, surprisingly homey. Contraptions laid spread out throughout the space, the most peculiar one being what appeared to be a ‘physical’ alarm clock by Dorgle's bed.  
  
(“It’s very Rube-Goldberg-like," Percy noted.  
  
“I…I don’t know what that means.")  
  
Even the lighting was strange, as snails with bioluminescent shells were used in place of the average lightbulb.  
  
It was all so _fascinating._

  
  
  
Percy now sat idly on Migo’s bed—which he was surprised to find was a giant stone slab—as the yeti left to grab him a blanket. The man had been getting increasingly colder in the past hour, and Migo had apparently come to notice.  
  
When he returned, the yeti came bearing a large tarp. Migo carefully wrapped it around Percy's shoulders, and the man noted the density of the material. The sheet appeared to be made from yak fur.  
  
“We don’t really get cold up here ourselves so we don't have any...what did you call them, 'blankets'? But we used to use this thing like a rug, and it's pretty warm…”  
  
“Thank you,” Percy replied, offering Migo a smile before breaking into a mild coughing fit.  
  
Migo grew anxious at the sight, reaching his hand out with the means of comforting him, though Percy gestured to him through the bout that it was ok.  
  
“Are you sure you’re alright?”  
  
“Yeah, I—” he sputtered through a cough, “I-I’m fine Migo, I promise.”  
  
Percy placed his hand softly onto Migo’s arm as if to emphasize his point, squeezing it softly for good measure.  
  
(He’d never bring it up, but Migo’s fur was softer than he could’ve ever imagined.)  
  
“But then why are you coughing like that?"  
  
“Well it’s…really cold up here, for someone like myself,” Percy started, “and also the uh, the air, it’s…it’s awfully thin. See, I…I can’t breathe quite well this high up.”  
  
Migo’s eyes widened at that, and he immediately rushed to grab Percy’s ‘cocoon’. “Then I’ve got to take you home!”

  
“It’s fine, M-…M _arc_ o.”  
  
_“Marco?”_  
  
Though the man fell unconscious before he could clarify.

  
  
**« -« • »- »**

  
  
  
  
Percy awoke to himself lying amidst a steady beeping.  
  
  
It took him a moment to realize he was in a hospital.  
  
  
‘What happened,’ he wondered, slowly recalling having dreamt about a…a secret society of… _yetis?_  
  
(“That guy from the bar must’ve _really_ gotten into my head,” he thinks.)  
  
  


  
  
It’s when Percy looks into his phone’s photo album that his memory finally catches up to him.

  
  
**« -« • »- »**

  
  
“What if I _killed him?!”_ Migo cries, his hands firm on Meechee’s shoulders as he shakes her with a mix of panic and despair. “Oh _wowness_ Meechee what if he’s _dead?”_  
  
“Migo—”  
  
“How am I supposed to live with myself after that?”  
  
_“Migo.”_  
  
The yeti halts, though an expression of worry remains on his face in stark contrast to Meechee’s placid countenance. “I’m sure he’s fine,” she assures him, and it appears Migo finally manages to settle down.  
  
  
But it isn’t long before he begins to _pace_ anxiously around her room instead, his steps accentuated by distressed mutterings about Percy’s possible final moments.  
  
“I didn’t know _what to do_ ,” he starts. “I just put him back inside the building he came out of and then later a _bunch_ of smallfeet came, and there was a moving white box that the other smallfeet put him into, and I’m just so _worried_ because who _knows_ what they could be doing to him, and—“  
  
Meechee clasped her hand onto his shoulder, sighing gently. “He’s going to be alright, Migo. Trust me.”  
  
Though it’s not until the following day, when Percy returns to the village alone with some kind of tube on his face—an “oxygen mask”, as he calls it— that Migo finally believes her.

  
  
  



End file.
